First Day of School

The kids finally started school today. All other kids in our area started about two weeks ago. We were all VERY ready for school to begin. Double A even told us over the weekend that she likes school more than summer vacation.

They were both excited last night and this morning. We got Double A to her room, found her cubby in the hall, met her teacher and then Double A told us "You can go now." So we did. She was beyond ready for school to begin today.

We had gone last week to meet Bumblebee's teacher and see his new classroom. Kindergarten is a big deal and quite the transition. When we got there today he seemed a bit overwhelmed with all the activity. He sort of clung to me a bit but after a while we said we had to go and he sat with a friend who was very chatty. By the time we were walking out Bumblebee had warmed up and was smiling.

The after school reports were the usual struggle to pull information out of them. Both kids are getting hot lunch so they reported on that and the recess report is always popular. They were both tired and went to sleep easily tonight. They are both glad to be in school again...and I am glad they are, too!

All We Need Is Love

So it is our last week of summer before school starts - FINALLY!! We are all ready to have a break from each other, I do believe.

Anyway, we were on our way to the school yesterday to visit the classroom and meet Bumblebee's new teacher. On the way he asks me "Mommy, what is the most important thing in the world?" How the hell do I answer that? So I stammer a bit and go with "I guess it depends on who you are but some people would say water so we could live...or AIR! We can't live without being able to breathe."

He just sat there a bit and then I knew as I said it I was getting too philosophical but said it anyway (Hey, I was navigating a traffic jam and trying not to get run over while answering questions of the universe from my mini Dali Lama) "Some people would say LOVE is the most important thing." He laughed and said "Love isn't the most important thing!"

That's when I launched into all the ways love makes the world special and how life would be without love, what would it be like if we didn't have love for our parents or for him, etc and on and so forth.

That's when Double A finally pipes up with "Love is the gooey stuff that makes the family stick together."

That about summed it up.

Double A's 8th Birthday

Double A celebrated her 8th birthday this month. Doesn't seem possible. No way 8 years have passed since she came to us all rosy cheeked, dimples bursting out from almost before her first breath. She was a beautiful baby, an adorable toddler and she is becoming a beautiful little lady...quicker than we would prefer. She starts second grade next week. She reads like nobody's business and loves to do "arts and crafts" as she puts it. This summer she has started to enjoy video games and beats her mother consistently at Wii Mario carts - even grabbing the controller from me and doing it herself when I seem hopelessly unable to complete a track!



We had a family celebration on her actual birthday. She chose to go to our favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner. They let her wear the sombrero while we sang and then brought her fired ice cream! We opened gifts when we got home. This year she asked for and received tons of books. She is reading things like Junie B. Jones and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Magic Tree House.

This is Bumblebee and Double A pretending they like each other for split second! Actually, I think Bumblebee had spied the new Wii game Double A got and wanted to have a piece of that game playing action so he was being nice :)

A few weeks later (when her daddy could be off work) we had her birthday party with a few friends over. She chose the Hawaiian Luau theme and we decorated the backyard, made invitations and bought palm tree cup party favors. They wore swimsuits and played in the sprinkler in the backyard. We also had a fish pinata. We opened gifts and ate cake. Double A had a great time and thought all of her presents were wonderful!

Her daddy had also gone out that morning and bought her a new bike and a tag along attachment for his (or my) bike so she can practice with no training wheels. Now we have taken several family bike rides around our neighborhood and at nearby parks. Bumblebee just pedals his heart out to keep up!